Tyus Tours & Travel Blog

Information on the Travel Industry

"With so many travel options out there, it can be overwhelming. As your travel agency we will work as your 'value interpreter'. Using our expertise, we will find amazing experiences that exceed your every desire, but not your budget. With our services, you will be confident that your Dream Vacation will be perfectly planned, hassle-free, and filled with monents you'll never forget."

The New Carnival Dreamscape

The new Carnival Dreamscape features a LED sculpture similar to the display in the atrium of the Carnival Vista. But on the Dreamscape it will be even more unique.

It will feature colorful, vibrant, artwork created by patients of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital! The children had a blast creating the 33 designs that will be displayed on a rotational basis, in addition to over 100 other designs.

Dreamscape is a beautiful technological wonder, unlike anything else at sea. It's a 24-foot funnel-shaped centerpiece, comprised of more than 2,000 flexible LED tiles. We will rotate the artwork it displays based on the time of day, port the ship is visiting, or occasion, so your will love visiting the Atrium throughout the day and evening to see what's on display.

As St. Jude Children's Hospital's Official Celebration Partner, we're proud to display these amazing creations on our newest ship, set to debut in April 2018!

Celebrating Build-A-Bear's 20th Birthday!

To celebrate the 20th birthday of Build-A-Bear, we hosted a special event onboard Carnival Magic for more than 100 kids from Brevard, FL area Boys & Girls Clubs while the ship was docked in Port Canaveral. We also made a $10,000 donation to the Boys & Girls Clubs.

The children had a fun day making customized bears that they were able to take home with them. They were also treated to bear-themed candy and pizza, and enjoyed a tour of the ship.

Build-A-Bear Workshop At Sea is a popular family-friendly activity available on all 25 Carnival ships.

For more information about this special event, and Build-A-Bear Workshop at Sea, contact Ricky at Tyus Tours & Travel call 866-547-5362.

The Ohio State Marching Band To Perform In the 2018 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

On Sept. 16, The Ohio State University Marching Band was selected to perform in the 2018 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, representing the state of Ohio. This will mark the first Parade appearance by the band.

The Ohio State University Marching Band will join the parade to the call of “Let’s Have a Parade,” the iconic phrase that has signaled the start of every Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade since 1924.

Each year, the Macy’s Parade Band Committee looks for bands that have the stage presence and musical and marching abilities to captivate more than 3.5 million live spectators and more than 50 million viewers. The Ohio State University Marching Band was selected from more than 100 applicants as one of 10 bands to march in the 92nd edition of the annual holiday spectacle.

The band will join the revelry along with other iconic Macy’s staples: floats, giant character balloons, clowns and superstar performers galore on Thanksgiving Day 2018, helping to create an unforgettable experience for millions.

For years Tyus Tours & Travel has been an expert at booking the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. We now have available the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2018 Outdoor VIP Viewing Area.

Press Release: California Wildfires

On Sunday, October 8th, evacuations were issued in northern California due to spreading wildfires. The fires continue to burn in the wine country regions of the state and it is unclear when they will be stopped. TravelSafe understands those scheduled to travel to or from this area will have questions about their coverage, and they are encouraged to call us 24/7 with any questions.

It is important to note, don’t rush out to buy travel protection now to cover the California wildfires as TravelSafe plans do not provide coverage for an event that is foreseeable prior to the purchase of travel protection. In this case, plans purchased on or after October 8th, 2017 will not cover losses related to these wildfires.

Plans purchased on or before October 7th, 2017 may have coverage for these fires, as wildfires are considered as natural disasters in TravelSafe travel protection plans. Following are some general guidelines regarding the various coverages available:

Trip Delay – Additional meal and accommodation expenses may be reimbursed up to the amount provided by the plan if you have left home and travel is delayed 6 hours or more due to flight delays or cancellations. The dollar amount of coverage will be based on the plan you selected. Please refer to your plan documents for complete details.

Missed Connection – All of our plans also include the missed connection benefit if your flight is delayed for 3 hours or more. This benefit can reimburse unused land and water arrangements and additional transportation to catch up to the trip. The dollar amount of coverage for Missed Connection will vary depending on the plan you purchased. For more details, please review your plan documents.

Trip Interruption – TravelSafe plans offer Trip Interruption coverage for your travel arrangements if they are disrupted due to the fires and you must leave or return later than originally scheduled. Depending on the TravelSafe plan, covered reasons to interrupt the trip can include: 12 hour or more flight delay due to weather; or your home, work, or accommodations at your destination made uninhabitable. Trip Interruption bases the dollar amount of coverage on the amount of trip cost you insured on the plan. To be certain that you have this protection, please review your plan documents or call TravelSafe.

Trip Cancellation – Should your flight be delayed or canceled due to the wildfires, TravelSafe plans can cover cancellation penalties if you are not able to travel for 12 hours or more. Based on the plan selected, TravelSafe can also cover you if your destination is officially declared uninhabitable, or if your home or work place is made uninhabitable. A mandatory evacuation can also be considered, if when the evacuation ends and there is less than half or less than 4 days left of your trip. The dollar amount of coverage is determined by the amount of trip cost you insured on the plan. Please read your plan documents for specific information.

This information is a general overview of coverage benefits that may apply if travel plans are impacted by the California wildfires. The coverage available for your trip will be based on the terms in your travel protection plan. Please refer to your plan documents to learn more or contact TravelSafe with questions.

Travel Companies React Strongly Against U.S. Travel Warning for Cuba

On Sept. 29, 2017, the U.S. State Department issued a Cuba Travel Warning as a result of some unidentified attacks against numerous U.S. Embassy employees. The alleged incidents appear to be isolated to specific residences and rooms occupied by individual employees of the U.S. Embassy. Both governments are working to uncover the mystery of these incidents and the U.S. Embassy in Havana remains open to serve U.S. citizens. But the U.S. also expelled 15 Cuban diplomats.

Now Cuba Travel Services (CTS) is responding that it does not see any reason to believe these alleged incidents pose any danger whatsoever to those traveling to Cuba. In a briefing just last month, the State Department spokeswomen said the incidents were not ongoing.

CTS said none of the 600,000 U.S. citizens or residents who visited Cuba last year, nor the nearly 500,000 who visited this year have been effected by the alleged incident. "Cuba remains one of the safest destinations in the world for American travelers," said Michael Zuccato general manager of CTS. "Safearound.com independently assesses the risk of travel for over 100 cities around the world and has determined Cuba is generally a safe country with almost no violent crimes, organized gang culture, teenage delinquency, drugs or dangerous zones.”

Many in the travel industry carefully assess and track State Department travel warnings because customers' safety the first priority. The Cuba travel warning includes the entire country and is in direct contrast to other travel warnings and alerts, which normally address a specific region or city section.

Some have dismissed the warning claiming they are motivated by Florida politics which have long influenced U.S.-Cuba relations. American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Airlines and JetBlue are all planning to operate as normal. In addition to the long list of airlines, cruise lines and tour operators continue to arrange travel to Cuba without interruption.

“Cuba Travel Services regularly conducts thorough and comprehensive inspections of its select hotels and excursions in efforts to ensure a safe, secure and rewarding experience for our travelers," said Zuccato. "Just last week an additional inspection was completed in Havana (post Hurricane Irma) and the services were certified safe for travelers."

Michael Goren, president and CEO of Group IST, which introduced small ship cruising people-to-people programs in Cuba in 2013, and now operates Cuba programs under the BeyondCruises by Group IST brand, said Cuba is still one of the safest destinations for American visitors, as well as for all travelers. “There is no hostility toward American visitors by the Cuban people,” he said. “In fact, the opposite is true. The Cuban people are extremely welcoming to the American travelers.”

Goren asserts that cruising is the safest way for American visitors to travel to Cuba. “They are in a protected and safe environment on board a ship,” he said. “We also have our own team on the ground who know exactly what is happening at all times and each exchange with Cubans and people-to-people activity is fully escorted.”

Goren said there is no reason at all for Americans to stop traveling to Cuba and Group IST small ship people-to-people cruising with BeyondCruises offers a very safe and secure travel environment.